More Light Presbyterians - Breaking News! Presbytery of Boston votes Yes on 08-B

Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. - Amos 5:24

Rev. Rob Mark
Co-Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Waltham, www.fpcwaltham.org
Assistant Chaplain to Memorial Church at Harvard (McDonald Fellow)
Watershed: www.watershedwaltham.blogspot.com
www.presbyterianconservationcorps.org

As you know, the Presbytery of Boston was one of the presbyteries that sent an Ordination overture to the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in San Jose in 2008. This was the overture selected and approved by the Church Orders' Committee, passed by the General Assembly and recommended for ratification.

52 Presbyteries have voted for Amendment 08-B with many traditionally-supportive presbyteries yet to vote. Have Faith. Continue praying. Keep working.

Special thanks to all those working to end discrimination against LGBT Presbyterians and their families now. We are particularly grateful for Rev. Jean Southard, Rev. Rob Mark, Sara Herwig, Heather Reichgott, Sonnie Swentson, Rev. Debra Peevey and the wonderful group in the Presbytery of Boston for offering educational resources and information on Amendment 08-B You are an inspiration.

The 23 Presbyteries that have flipped from "NO" in 2001-2 to "YES" in 2009 so far include: Western North Carolina, Lake Huron, East Tennessee, Cimarron, Southeastern Illinois, Charlotte, Maumee Valley, Great Rivers, Scioto Valley, Sheppards & Lapsley, Tres Rios, New Hope, Greater Atlanta, Ohio Valley, Arkansas, Yellowstone, Whitewater Valley, Transylvania, Eastminster, West Jersey, Mackinac, Newark and West Virginia.

We want to alert all of you working in local presbyteries to pass 08-B to prepared for any of the "No Action" efforts in your presbytery and be ready to address them.

Some opponents of Amendment 08-B are saying that when 08-B passes, then pastors who vote against 08-B, oppose LGBT ordination or the ministry offered by LGBT Presbyterians, would not be allowed to serve which is simply not true.

For educational resources and our Resource Packet from the Answering God's Call to Serve! Yes on 08-B Campaign -- go to http://www.mlp.org/answeringgodscall

Thanks be to God for the Presbytery of Boston for taking a stand for justice and calling for the end of discrimination in our Church. Together We are building a Church for all God's people.

with hope and grace,

Michael

PS -- Special thanks to Bruce Hahne, recent National MLP Board Member and Elder, First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, CA, a More Light Church for number-crunching and analysis of trends so far for Amendment 08-B -- go to http://yeson08b.blogspot.com/

Michael J. Adee, M.Div., Ph.D., Executive Director & Field Organizer

More Light Presbyterians, 369 Montezuma Avenue # 447, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 USA (505) 820-7082, michaeladee@aol.com, www.mlp.org

Answering God's Call to Serve! YES on 08-B Campaign

For resources, stories, presbytery vote tally, and news from More Light Presbyterians

YES on 08-B Campaign go to http://www.mlp.org/answeringgodscall